Waste analysis
Determination of the appropriate disposal methods is done after waste analysis.
For reasons of operational safety or due to legal requirements, certain wastes, such as radioactive substances, may not be accepted.

Identification analysis
Samples are taken from all wastes delivered, and are examined above-ground; among other methods, X-ray fluorescence analysis is used. This assures that the wastes delivered comply with the disposal certificate.

Reference samples
Reference samples of all wastes are stored at special below-ground sample chambers at the underground waste disposal plant.
Due to this “sample archive” it is always known which substances have been deposited, and subsequent analyses may be done.

Documentation
All waste deliveries are consistently documented.

Salt overburden
Wastes are stored at depths of between 500 and 800 metres, and are surrounded by thick salt layers.
This salt reacts in a ductile way: as time passes, the salt encloses the wastes tightly.

Clay banks
The salt layers are overlaid by clay banks, which show a certain plasticity in their reaction to lithospheric movement.
The wastes are reliably sealed off against water-bearing strata.

Further layers
Above the clay layers, there are other water-impermeable layers.

Packaging
Before depositing, all wastes are packed in big bags, steel drums or steel containers. This minimises risks during handling and depositing.

Walling-in of the storage chambers
As soon as a storage chamber has been filled with a certain substance group, it is sealed off by a masonry wall, separating it from other substance groups.

Damming-up of deposit sectors
The deposit sectors are separated from active mining by wide dams.
After the deposit area has been filled, the access roads are closed off by massive dams.

Shaft backfilling
If one day depositing and mining at the site are ceased, the shafts are backfilled, for ever closing off the wastes’ only connection with the biosphere.